Essential Apparel.com

Full review
It's fun trying out new stores, especially when the local stores are out of stock or don’t have what I need to buy. And I admit that with today’s rising gas prices, letting my fingers walk across the internet is much more enjoyable that driving. That is how I came to shop at EssentialApparel.com.


Briefly About the Store

http://www.essentialapparel.com

Essential Apparel sells a variety of clothing. They offer everything from jeans, tops, dresses, pants, sleepwear, underwear, footwear, and accessories for women, men and children (including toddlers). The selection is large. Their retail stores started 30 years ago, and as have most businesses, they branched into selling via the internet.


Navigating the Site

The website is easy to navigate with a variety of ways to access the products offered.

At the Top

The top of the page announces “Free Shipping on Orders $70 & Up”. There is a Search Box, and links for My Account, Contact Us, Order Status, Shipping & Gifts. The Shopping Cart shows a running total of items ordered and the amount of the order. I like it that the contact page includes not only a variety of email addresses but also a telephone number (Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm ET), as well as a fax number and mailing address (the mailing address is a PO Box number).

To the Left

Along the left in a vertical column are a variety of navigation links with categories of: Shop by Brand, Women’s, Men’s, Kid’s, Clearance, Gifts. Beneath each of these headings are sub-groups (ex: tops, jeans & pants, jackets & vests, sleepwear, underwear, gloves & hats, hosiery, footwear). Two small buttons that are easy to miss lead to: Top Rated Products and See New Arrivals. There is also an area to sign up for email offers.

In the Middle

The majority of the Home Page features some product photographs, a bra finder, featured items, as well as a Special Offers & Sales section. Beneath this is a huge array of links to search by brand name.

At the Bottom

A horizontal line of links at the bottom of the page include: Home, Contact Us, Order Status, Shipping, Gifts, Returns, Reviews, About Us, Privacy Policy, Site Map. There is also a line-up of icons featuring the credit cards they accept (Visa, American Express, Discover, Mastercard) and shippers (UPS, United States Post Office).


Let’s Go Shopping

Since I had never been to this website before, I elected to browse the different categories to view product. Each product page features a medium-size photo that can be enlarged, and in some instances there is more than one view of the item. Color swatches are shown, which sometimes vary greatly from the actual color of the product in the photo. The sizes are shown, and there is an area to select the quantity you wish to order. Pricing includes the list price as well as the Essential Apparel price, and to entice you, the savings percentage is shown.

A brief (too brief!) description of the product is included along with a list of the product’s features. Most of the description is a bulleted list of the product’s features. Consumers can leave product reviews about each item on the product page. The lingerie section has the most reviews. Where reviews have been left, a series of one to five stars appears along with a link to view the customer comments. Note: A pop-up window opens with the reviews, and the reviews can be sorted a variety of ways (ex: newest review, highest ranking reviews, most helpful first).

Sizing varies from item to item. For instance, the women’s jeans are medium ranging from size 4 to 18, or 2x31 to 16x33 (no women’s (W) cuts) that I saw. They also offer petite sizes. Not every style comes in every size. If searching for lingerie, a lot of sizes are offered (ex: 32 to 50 / A to DDDD and slim offers of F/G). Essential Apparel also has a large range of Crocs. There is a helpful feature at the top of the pages that allows one to search by size, brand, color and/or price.

Prices are good when they show extra savings (20% seems to be the average discount). Otherwise, pricing is in line with what I’ve seen in my local stores. On average, the clearance section offers discounts of 20% to 40%.

It’s easy to shop. Like most online stores, just select the size, color, and quantity and click the blue “Add to Cart” button. If the item choice is out of stock, a pop-up box says that the option chosen is not available. You can view the cart, and adjust the quantity or remove items. The cart also shows availability (ex: Usually ships within 48 hours). From this page you can also calculate the shipping charges; enter your zip code and shipping option, and the cart will update with the shipping charges and tax.

There is also an area to add a promotional code. I did not have one, but my order qualified for free shipping, and the clothing was on sale … so I was happy.


Checking Out

To begin the ordering process, you have to supply a valid email address. Then you are prompted to enter the usual shipping/billing contact information. There is an area to create an account with Essential Apparel if you wish to do so. The next page shows a summary of the order. From here you can change the shipping method if you wish. The next screen also shows the order and allows you to adjust the quantities ordered for each item. Here is where payment information is entered.

Essential Apparel accepts: Visa, American Express, Discover, Mastercard. They also require the three-digit code from the back of the credit card. If you don’t want “special offers” from them, make sure to uncheck the box. If you run into problems or have questions, their toll-free telephone number is prominently displayed on each page. I had no trouble checking out and did not need to contact them.

If you do not qualify for free shipping, ground shipping is a flat fee and very reasonable. Here are their shipping costs:

Ground Shipping -- $5.99 (they choose the carrier)
UPS 3 Day Select -- $9.00
UPS 2nd Day Air -- $13.00
UPS Next Day Air -- $24.00
(All P.O. Boxes ship via Priority Mail for $5.99)


After Checkout & Receiving the Order

I received two follow-up emails after placing the order. The order confirmation arrived quickly, and two days later I received shipping notification. The shipping email included the tracking number for the package.

The package took a week to arrive. It came in a sturdy cardboard box. The items were in protective plastic bags, and the clothing had manufacturer tags as if I had purchased it from my local department store. Everything was in excellent condition.


Summary

This was a great first experience ordering from EssentialApparel.com. I would definitely do so again if the need arises. Sometimes my local stores are great at carrying the brands and sizes I want; and there are times when I can’t find the clothing I need. Essential Apparel had what I needed at a good price.

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

Coldwater Creek (online store)

Coach (online store)

Shepler’s (online store)

Hank’s Clothing (online store)

Kohl’s (online store)

Just My Size (online store)

Lane Bryant (online store)

Old Pueblo Traders (online store)


Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart